Display device and control system thereof

• US 7,239,742 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohtani, Tomohiko, Kamio, Tomomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US10/415,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20040027364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/164, 382/167, 382/282, 345 87- 89, 345 98-100, 345/102, 345/167, 345/204, 345/211, 345/214, 345/690, 345/698
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel having display pixels arranged in a matrix, and a display area capable of displaying in color. A display mode of the display panel is switched to either a full-screen display mode in which an image is displayed in the entire display area or a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area. The display area of the display panel is set while dividing the display area into a partial display area in which an image is displayed and a background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode. An image is displayed in the partial display area. A display color of the background display area is set.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix, and a display area capable of displaying in color;

a display mode switching means for switching a display mode of the display panel to one of a full-screen display mode in which an image is displayed in an entirety of the display area of the display panel and a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area of the display panel;

a display area setting means for setting the display area of the display panel while dividing the display area into at least one partial display area in which an image is displayed and at least one background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode;

an image display means for displaying an image in the partial display area; and

a background color setting means for setting a display color of the background display area to one of a plurality of colors including black and white.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the background color setting means sets the display color of the background display area, to any one of eight colors provided by combining RGB.

3. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a color specification signal input means for inputting a color specification signal externally, and

wherein the background color setting means sets the display color of the background display area in accordance with the color specification signal input through the color specification signal input means.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display mode switching means performs a switching operation between the full-screen display mode and the partial display mode in accordance with a mode switching signal input externally.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a display signal storage means for storing display signals by an amount corresponding to at least one display screen of the display section.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the image display means displays the image in the partial display area in accordance with one of the display signals stored in the display signal storage means.

4. A display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix, and a display area capable of displaying in color;

a display mode switching means for switching a display mode of the display panel to one of a full-screen display mode in which an image is displayed in an entirety of the display area of the display panel and a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area of the display panel;

a display area setting means for setting the display area of the display panel while dividing the display area into at least one partial display area in which an image is displayed and at least one background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode;

an image display means for displaying an image in the partial display area; and

a background color setting means for setting a display color of the background display area;

wherein the display area setting means sets at least two background display areas, and the background color setting means sets the display color for each of the set background display areas.

5. A display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix, and a display area capable of displaying in color;

a display mode switching means for switching a display mode of the display panel to one of a full-screen display mode in which an image is displayed in an entirety of the display area of the display panel and a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area of the display panel;

a display area setting means for setting the display area of the display panel while dividing the display area into at least one partial display area in which an image is displayed and at least one background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode;

an image display means for displaying an image in the partial display area; and

a background color setting means for setting a display color of the background display area;

wherein the display area setting means sets at least two partial display areas.

9. A portable apparatus comprising a display device, the display device including;

a display panel comprising a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix, and a display area capable of displaying in color;

a display mode switching means for switching a display mode of the display panel to one of a full screen display mode in which an image is displayed in an entirety of the display area of the display panel and a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area of the display panel;

a display area setting means for setting the display area of the display panel while dividing the display area into at least one partial display area in which an image is displayed and at least one background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode;

an image display means for displaying an image in the partial display area,

an operation state determining means for determining an operation state of the portable apparatus; and

a background color setting means for setting a display color of the background display area to one of a plurality of colors including black and white, corresponding to the operation state determined by the operation state determining means.

10. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display mode switching means performs a switching operation between the full-screen display mode and the partial display mode such that, when the portable apparatus is being operated the display panel is switched to the full-screen display mode, and when the portable apparatus is in a non-operation state for a predetermined period the display panel is switched to the partial display mode.

11. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display device further comprises a background color setting storage means for storing a set value of the display color of the background display area corresponding to the operation state determined by the operation state determining means.

12. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the background color setting means sets the display color of the background display area to any one of eight colors provided by combining RGB in the display device.

13. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the portable apparatus is a mobile telephone, and

wherein the operation state determined by the operation state determining means includes at least one of a state indicating that the mobile telephone has received an incoming call, not a state indicating that the mobile telephone is in a communication state, a state indicating a predetermined communication partner, a state indicating that a battery remaining amount is within a predetermined range, a state indicating a predetermined number of communications, a state indicating that an incoming call sound can be output, and a state indicating a predetermined date and hour.

14. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display area setting means in the display device sets a plurality of background display areas, and

the background color setting means sets the display color for each of the set background display areas.

15. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display area setting means in the display device sets a plurality of partial display areas.

16. The portable apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display device comprises a display signal storage means for storing display signals by an amount corresponding to at least one display screen of the display section.

17. The portable apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image display means displays the image in the partial display area in accordance with one of the display signals stored in the display signal storage means.

18. A method for controlling a portable apparatus having a display section which includes a display panel having a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix and a display area capable of displaying in color, said method comprising:

switching to a partial display mode in which an image is only partially displayed in the display area of the display panel in accordance with an operation state of the portable apparatus;

setting the display area of the display panel while dividing the display area into at least one partial display area in which an image is displayed and at least one background display area in which an image is not displayed in the partial display mode; and

setting a display color of the background display area to one of a a plurality of colors including black and white, corresponding to the operation state of the portable apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a switching operation between the full-screen display mode and the partial display mode is performed at least such that, when the portable apparatus is being operated the display panel is switched to the full-screen display mode, and when the portable apparatus is in a non-operation state for a predetermined period the display panel is switched to the partial display mode.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the display color of the background display area is set to be any one of eight colors provided by combining RGB.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the portable apparatus is a mobile telephone, and

wherein the operation state of the portable apparatus includes at least one of a state indicating that the mobile telephone has received an incoming call, not a state indicating that the mobile telephone is in a communication state, a state indicating a predetermined communication partner, a state indicating that a battery remaining amount is within a predetermined range, a state indicating a predetermined number of communications, a state indicating that an incoming call sound can be output, and a state indicating a predetermined date and hour.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the display color in the background display area is is set by performing a thinned-out driving operation in which a predetermined voltage is applied on the display pixels for at least every three fields, or more than three odd number of fields.